Seattle shows fire up film fans

Call it the “Trainspotting” syndrome.

It’s what happens when you’re sitting in a crowded theater and you get caught up with the kind of crowd fever that rises out of what’s being shown on the big screen. Time speeds by faster than the Millennium Falcon on warp drive, and you end up feeling a little like Jeff Spicoli what with all the laughing or moaning or yelling that is going on around you.

In the case of “Trainspotting,” add retching to the mix.

Over the dozen or so years that I have been annually attending the Seattle International Film Festival, I’ve experienced the “Trainspotting” syndrome more times than I can count. And when I go to the 2005 version, which runs from May 19 to June 12, I hope to come down with it again.

I felt it during the 1996 festival, when Brian Singer’s “The Usual Suspects” played to a sell-out crowd at the historic Egyptian Theatre (which since 1980 has been home of the festival’s sponsoring group, Cinema Seattle).

The feeling returned in 1999, when Franka Potente and Tom Tykwer showed up in person at The Egyptian to introduce “Run Lola Run.”

There have been many other high spots, too, almost too many to count when you average seeing some 40 films a festival as I have over the years.

Among the most memorable: Michael Haneke’s 1997 horror-show “Funny Games,” which left the crowd that I was a member of stunned into speechlessness; the 1995 festival, in which my wife drove us from Sea-Tac to downtown Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theater – during rush hour – in just over half an hour to catch the opening-night screening of Mel Gibson’s “Braveheart”; and during the 2003 screening of the Oscar-nominated documentary “Capturing the Friedmans,” at which one of the film’s characters cried onstage.

Then there was the 1994 festival, in which we attended a movie-director panel discussion and heard an irreverent first-time filmmaker from New Jersey talking about his movie. We immediately sped to the University District to see it.

And, yes, we loved Kevin Smith’s “Clerks.”

Nothing surprising there. Since it first started showing films in 1975, the Seattle International Film Festival has gradually become one of the country’s friendliest festivals for the average film fan.

These days, virtually every city with five or more movie buffs boasts a festival – Spokane, for example. But while other festivals either attract industry types (Sundance, for example), price their tickets too high for the average moviegoer (Telluride) or are held in places that are impossible to negotiate (Cannes), Seattle remains surprisingly accessible.

For example, last year’s festival listed 11 venues on its schedule, including the 5th Avenue Theater, site of the opening-night showing of “The Notebook,” and the Valley 6 Outdoor Theatres in Auburn, which played a triple-feature zombie Drive-in Party. The bulk of the films, though, were scheduled to screen in five major theaters: Pacific Place (73), The Egyptian (70), Harvard Exit (65), Broadway Performance Hall (61), Cinerama (34) – which, for the hardy, are close enough to walk from one to the next.

Except for the Broadway Performance Hall, which is located at Seattle Central Community College and holds just less than 300 seats, each one is big enough so that, usually, you can get in if you really want to.

First of all, those who have money to spare (and who can afford to pay the $50 Cinema Seattle membership fee) can buy passes, which range from $900 (and gets you into everything) to $54 for what is called a Cinematic 6-Pack (gets you into six films that you have to choose when you buy it).

Best of all, you can both become a member and order your pass online. Special Early Bird Orders are being offered right now at www.cinemaseattle.net/siff3/ earlybird.asp.

You don’t have to be a member of the computer generation, though. The festival schedule won’t be announced until May 5, but when it is you can order by phone. The festival box office will be open to members from May 5-7. To find out when the ticket office will start taking orders from everyone else, call (206) 324-9996 or the main information number, (206) 464-5830.

In years past, I’ve written about the SIFF during the week prior to the Opening Night Gala. And I’ve been criticized.

“Not enough warning,” readers have written.

So take note: Circle May 19 on your calendar, and begin making your plans. For 25 days, Seattle will be the site of some strangely fulfilling cinematic sickness.

As Ewan McGregor’s “Trainspotting” character says, “Choose Life. Choose a job. Choose a career.”

To which I add, choose a movie. Or three.